Heartbeats

Plenty of movies pretend to be about romantic obsession, but most confuse it with a crush. By contrast, Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats — the story of two best friends, a gay guy and a straight girl, who both fall hard for the same easygoing bohemian hunk — may be the most raw and visceral cinematic portrayal of infatuation I’ve ever seen, with nearly every shot conveying aching, unrequited desire. The hugely talented 21 year-old Dolan has a lively, light-footed style that seems better suited for an actual romance, but that makes the film all the more interesting; instead of romantic chemistry, he creates an a fierce one-sided erotic energy that evaporates before reaching its object. It’s as riveting as it is painful to watch.